Abstract:
A photovoltaic device is provided. It comprises at least two electrical contacts, p type dopants and n type dopants. It also comprises a bulk region and nanowires in an aligned array which contact the bulk region. All nanowires in the array have one predominant type of dopant, n or p, and at least a portion of the bulk region also comprises that predominant type of dopant. The portion of the bulk region comprising the predominant type of dopant typically contacts the nanowire array. The photovoltaic devices' p-n junction would then be found in the bulk region. The photovoltaic devices would commonly comprise silicon.
Abstract:
A quantum-well photoelectric device, such as a quantum cascade laser, is constructed of monocrystalline nanoscale membranes physically removed from a substrate and mechanically assembled into a stack.
Abstract:
A silicon/germanium (SiGe) superlattice thermal sensor is provided with a corresponding fabrication method. The method forms an active CMOS device in a first Si substrate, and a SiGe superlattice structure on a second Si-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The first substrate is bonded to the second substrate, forming a bonded substrate. An electrical connection is formed between the SiGe superlattice structure and the CMOS device, and a cavity is formed between the SiGe superlattice structure and the bonded substrate.
Abstract:
SiGe quantum wells where the well material has a lowest conduction band energy minimum at k=0 (the Γ point of the first Brillouin zone) are provided. Quantum well structures that satisfy this condition have “Kane-like” bands at and near k=0 which can provide physical effects useful for various device applications, especially optical modulators. In the Si1-xGex material system, this condition on the band structure is satisfied for x greater than about 0.7. The quantum well barrier composition may or may not have Kane-like bands. Optical modulators including such SiGe quantum wells can be operated at temperatures other than room temperature. Such temperature control is preferred for providing optical modulators that operate in the telecommunication C band (˜1530 nm to ˜1565 nm).
Abstract:
A silicon/germanium (SiGe) superlattice thermal sensor is provided with a corresponding fabrication method. The method forms an active CMOS device in a first Si substrate, and a SiGe superlattice structure on a second Si-on-insulator (SOI) substrate. The first substrate is bonded to the second substrate, forming a bonded substrate. An electrical connection is formed between the SiGe superlattice structure and the CMOS device, and a cavity is formed between the SiGe superlattice structure and the bonded substrate.
Abstract:
In some embodiments, the present invention is directed to photovoltaic (PV) devices comprising silicon (Si) nanowires as active PV elements, wherein such devices are typically thin film Si solar cells. Generally, such solar cells are of the p-i-n type and can be fabricated for front and/or backside (i.e., top and/or bottom) illumination. Additionally, the present invention is also directed at methods of making and using such devices, and to systems and modules (e.g., solar panels) employing such devices.
Abstract:
A method of fabricating a detector, the method including forming an island of detector core material on a substrate, the island having a horizontally oriented top end, a vertically oriented first sidewall, and a vertically oriented second sidewall that is opposite said first sidewall; implanting a first dopant into the first sidewall to form a first conductive region that has a top end that is part of the top end of the island; implanting a second dopant into the second sidewall to form a second conductive region that has a top end that is part of the top end of the island; fabricating a first electrical connection to the top end of the first conductive region; and fabricating a second electrical connection to the top end of the second conductive region.
Abstract:
A method of fabricating on optical detector, the method including providing a substrate that includes an optical waveguide formed therein and having a surface for fabricating microelectronic circuitry thereon; fabricating microelectronic circuitry on the substrate, the fabricating involving a plurality of sequential process phases; after a selected one of the plurality of sequential process phases has occurred and before the next process phase after the selected one of the plurality of process phases begins, fabricating an optical detector within the optical waveguide; and after fabricating the optical detector in the waveguide, completing the plurality of sequential process phases for fabricating the microelectronic circuitry.
Abstract:
A horizontal access semiconductor photo detector (2) comprises a horizontal light absorbing layer (8) for converting light into photo-current which layer is configured to confine light within it in whispering gallery modes of propagation. The detector is configured to have a first waveguide portion (18) and a second light confining portion (20, 21) arranged such that the waveguide portion couples light into the detector and transfers light into the light confining portion so as to excite whispering gallery modes of propagation around the light confining portion. The light absorbing layer may be part of the light confining portion or alternatively light can be coupled into the light confining portion or alternatively light can be coupled into the light absorbing layer from the light confining portion by evanescent coupling. The excitation of whispering gallery modes within the light absorbing layer significantly increases the effective absorption coefficient of the light absorbing layer.
Abstract:
A superlattice infrared photodetector is disclosed, which can be fabricated easily by molecular beam epitaxy, has low power consumption and small dark current. Furthermore, the working temperature to operate the detector under background limited performance can be achieved by cooling down to the liquid nitrogen temperature. That is, the front and rear sides of the superlattice structure are added with blocking layers with sufficient height and width. The thickness is about 50 nm and the height of the energy barrier must be higher than the bottom of the second miniband of the superlattice structure by a value of more than 10 meV. Thereby, with the generation of photocurrent, the dark current is reduced at the same time. Therefore, the ratio of the photocurrent to the dark current can be improved effectively so that the working temperature for the background limited performance is increased vastly to even higher than 77 K.